Shoes! What are they good for? (Absolutely nothin'. Wooo-ooo-ah) But really: shoes are the "Lebowski rug" of men's fashion. They pull the whole room together, so speak. A good pair of shoes allows a dude to dress-up a good pair of jeans and a T-shirt and come off looking like Ryan Gosling.

Which is why Helm's boots are absolutely fantastic. Throw on a pair of their "Sam" boots (available in black, brown, and a very intriguing blue) and from the knee down you'll look like a movie star. They're handmade, stunning, and get better with age. They're adventure boots: they'll dress up the aforementioned jeans and a T-shirt, but look just as good dressing down (slightly) some formal wear. Breaking up a stoic (yet well-cut) suit with a great pair of worn boots is a swell way to let the onlookers know that you took your punk rock / real-man ethos with you into the boardroom.

I personally dig the black ones—they'll go with everything—but the navy blue ones feature a canvas side panel that is going to oh-so-much better after a few weeks use. Seriously: take a page from Mr Gosling and beat those puppies up. Live in them a little. Life, like a good pair of boots, wasn't meant to be spent sitting inside: get out there and use them. The Helm boots that I wear have seen everything New York has had to throw at them and the more I wear them, the more I get compliments on them. They're not only beautiful to begin with, but now, like a good pair of jeans or a cast-iron skillet, they're entirely my own. At $399 for a pair, they're a very solid investment for all kinds of outfits. I highly suggest you get a pair too to wear on your adventures.